Iran says gas leak caused eight-story building explosion: "Not an external attack"
- Input
- 2026-02-01 04:42:27
- Updated
- 2026-02-01 04:42:27
An eight-story building in the Islamic Republic of Iran exploded on July 31 local time.
The blast came at a sensitive moment, as a United States of America (USA) aircraft carrier had been deployed near Iran, heightening fears of an airstrike on the country.
However, the explosion was confirmed to have been caused by a gas leak rather than an external attack.
Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) and other local media, citing fire authorities, reported that the building exploded due to a gas leak.
According to officials, the explosion occurred at 1:58 p.m. that day in an eight-story building in Bandar Abbas, a port city in southern Hormozgan Province. The first to third floors, nearby shops, and several vehicles were destroyed in the blast.
There were also casualties.
A four-year-old child was killed and 14 people were injured.
The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) dismissed as "rumors" social media speculation that the explosion was an assassination attempt targeting its commander Alireza Tangsiri.
The State of Israel also denied any involvement in the blast.
dympna@fnnews.com Song Kyung-jae Reporter